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Hyman Roth
Hyman Roth was a Jewish investor and a business-partner of Vito Corleone, and later his son Michael. Biography Born Hyman Suchowsky in Hell's Kitchen, New York he changed it at the suggestion of Vito Corleone who discovered his hero was Arnold Rothstein for fixing the World Series. He had one brother, Sam. Roth worked diligently for the Corleone Family during Prohibition, and was a close friend and ally of Moe Greene, the "inventor" of Las Vegas. Roth, as well as Vito Corleone, both got their starts working together running molasses out of Cuba. It is suggested, however, that Vito Corleone never fully trusted Roth. Roth's Organisation Roth had very few men under his control over the years, which helped him keep under the radar of the authorities for many years. Although Roth himself had little in the way of fighting power, this was offset by his numerous business dealings, where his partners would provide hime with all the muscle he needed. His ability to generate such enormous profits from his plans for him and his partners gave him immense influence and a sort of political invincibility in the underworld: nearly all of Roth's most bitter rivals realized he was far too valuable an asset to lose, and his partners were determined to protect their moneymaker from the few who didn't. By the late 1950s, Roth is based in Miami and lives like a typically quiet, middle-class Jewish man approaching old age — though in reality he is by now a wealthy and very powerful crime boss. His right hand man is the Sicilian Johnny Ola. Roth, though in ill health, is about to enter into an extraordinarily profitable business partnership with the corrupt Cuban government, but is thwarted by Fidel Castro’s Communist revolution. At about this time, Roth manipulates Michael's brother Fredo into giving him information he uses to make an attempt on Michael's life and ruin his business connections with the Mangano Family, who had recently formed an alliance with Michael's right hand man, Dominic. Assassination Attempt During the last night of Batista's leadership, Michael, who has known that Roth has betrayed him, decides that "Roth would not see the New Year." After ordering the murder of Johnny Ola in the same night, Michael has his bodyguard, Bussetta kill Roth. Roth is ill and lying in bed when Bussetta sneaks in and tries to suffocate Roth with a pillow. Fortunately for Roth, members of the military storm the hospital and kill the bodyguard. Death By the end of the movie, Roth publicly states that he wishes to retire and live the twilight of his life in Israel — which is a sign that he gives up the feud against the Corleones. But Michael is not satisfied yet. As Roth returns from Israel, having had his request to live there "as a Jew in the twilight of his life" refused by the Israeli High Court, he arrives at the airport and prepares to be taken into Federal Custody in the US. However, he is assassinated by Corleone caporegime Rocco Lampone, who was posing as a reporter. Real life sources Roth is largely based on real-life gangster Meyer Lansky, who was also Jewish and ran molasses from Cuba. Lansky also had an alliance with Fulgencio Batista, and left after his regime collapsed. He also had a strong friendship with Bugsy Siegel, on whom Moe Greene is based. The scene where he is shot is similar to the death of Presidential assassin Lee Harvey Oswald. Category: Other Families